Description of Historic Place

H. Miller Homestead is a Municipal Heritage Property located in the Rural Municipality of Lumsden No. 189, approximately six kilometres west of the Town of Lumsden. The property, about 65 hectares in area, features a fieldstone farm residence and an Ontario-style "bank" barn, both constructed in 1902.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the H. Miller Homestead lies in its association with Hugh Kerr Miller, whose father had pioneered in Ontario and came to Saskatchewan with his three sons in 1889 to take up farming. Hugh Miller established his own farm in 1902 and became active in the community, serving the municipality as a Reeve from 1917 to 1926 and as a Liberal MLA in the Saskatchewan Legislature from 1925 to 1929.

Heritage value also lies in the architecture and construction of the large farm house. One of only two existing fieldstone residences in the RM of Lumsden, the house features stones taken from surrounding fields, which was at one time a common building practice in the southeast of the province. The home boasts many original fixtures that are somewhat more elegant than those found in typical early farmhouses, including the front door with transom, the staircase and bannister, and H. K. Miller's own insignia in a stone-carved arch over one of the windows.

Heritage value also resides in the Ontario-style bank barn, a style not commonly found on the prairies. Built into the side of a hill, this type of barn permitted ground level access to both the stable and the loft above. The barn features a stone foundation, red vertical siding, and gables at each end, typical of many similar barns built in Southern Ontario.

Located on a gentle slope, the farmyard, with its mature shelterbelt and winding entrance road, is considered a landmark in the Qu’Appelle Valley.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Lumsden No. 189 Bylaw No. 1/91.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the H.Miller homestead resides in the following character-defining elements:
-the elements that reflect the farmhouse’s architecture and construction, such as its fieldstone materials, the gable roof, original fixtures, including front door with transom, staircase with bannister, and the H. K. Miller stone insignia;
-the Ontario-style bank barn with stone foundation, red vertical wood siding, and roof with gables at each end;
-its location within a mature shelterbelt of trees.